Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 142 Domineering
Sun Pang was terrified.

As the magistrate of Huo County, he was promoted to magistrate by directly bypassing the assistant official level under Liu Ye, the military governor of Huainan, based on his talent in economic expenditure.

This is actually quite common in Huainan, because Huainan is the main channel responsible for the government's finances, and everyone in the region attaches great importance to the ability to manage finances.

The ability to obtain money from lower levels, to obtain large sums of money, and to consistently obtain large sums of money is the gold standard for evaluating an official's competence.

And clearly, Magistrate Sun Pang was such a talented and outstanding official.

Unfortunately, this talent was useless against the roar of hundreds of elite cavalry outside the city gates. In fact, because he had not given the county soldiers a single reward in the year he took office, the Huo County soldiers on the city wall were just watching the show.

He kept his sword sheathed and his bow unstrung, staring intently at the county magistrate.

What do you expect Sun Pang to do? What can he do besides opening the door himself?
At this moment, he finally understood why his former colleagues had told him to be a freeloader when he took office.

Oh, I regret it so much.

But at this moment, when he looked up at Zhao Huai'an, the governor of Guang Prefecture, riding a tall warhorse, Sun Pang realized that he was terribly wrong. He should be inside the city. Even if he was beaten to death by those soldiers, it would be better than being stared at by someone like this.

Suddenly, Sun Pang felt a pressure on his head as a sheathed sword pressed down on his turban, crushing the hard fabric of the turban.

Then he heard this voice:
"Are you the magistrate of this city? Do you know who I am?"

The pressure above his head was increasing, and Sun Pang could only try to keep his head up to maintain a semblance of dignity as a county magistrate. But suddenly the knife above his head loosened, and then the scabbard was pressed against Sun Pang's throat.

Sun Pang couldn't help but swallow, only one thought in his mind:
"The scabbard shouldn't be able to kill anyone, right?"

The next moment, Zhao Huai'an's voice came again, even colder:
"say!"

Sun Pang shouted loudly:

“This humble official, Sun Pang, Magistrate of Huo County, greets the Prefect of Guang Prefecture.”

He could feel countless eyes staring at him from behind, so Sun Pang wanted to say something tough and show these people that he, Sun Pang, was not a coward.

But the next moment, when Zhao Huai'an's voice rang out again, he trembled.

"Did you take my land?"

At that moment, Sun Pang felt as if the sky had fallen, and he stammered:
"I didn't do it. It was reported from the state. I didn't do it. It was just the people below me who were doing it. I don't know anything about it."

Zhao Huai'an nodded, knowing full well that the county magistrate was utterly useless and he had no hope for him.

So he asked the last question:
Where is Liu Xingquan from the county?

Sun Pang was taken aback. How could he possibly know Liu Xingquan? He had only been here a short time. He had barely gotten to know everyone in the office, and outside the office, he only knew some of the big tea merchants in the county. He had no idea who this Liu Xingquan was.

But Sun Pang's next sentence was:
"I know. I'll have the garrison soldiers bring him here now. This kind of person can be dealt with by two or three garrison soldiers."

Then, Sun Pang gained confidence. He glanced at Xue Ben, the county magistrate who had been silent, and wanted to ask him to do it, but he was worried that if he was refused, it would be even more embarrassing. So after looking around, he could only call over Sun Wan, the clerk he had brought with him.

In front of Zhao Huai'an, he gave the order:
"Go and bring Liu Xingquan here."

As he spoke, he turned to Zhao Huai'an and asked:
"My lord, what crime should we charge this man with?"

Looking at the obedient Magistrate Huo, Zhao Huai'an couldn't help but chuckle, and with a wave of his hand, he said:
"Just bring the person."

Since this person was cooperating, Zhao Huai'an wouldn't make things difficult for him. Although this person's rank was lower than his own, he was still a member of the Shouzhou officialdom, and Zhao Huai'an actually had no right to reprimand him.

With Zhao Huai'an's consent, Sun Pang, hands on his hips, gave the following instructions to his trusted confidant, Sun Wan:

"Take your soldiers and bring Liu Xingquan here. Do not question him for any crime. If he dares to resist, break his legs."

At this moment, Sun Pang was in high spirits, but Sun Wan looked troubled and quietly moved closer to Sun Pang:
"Hachiro, Liu Xingquan is a local tycoon in this county, specializing in money laundering. His brother-in-law is also a local tycoon in the prefecture, with deep ties to the government. The principal he lends out is all from the prefecture's treasury. I've dealt with this guy before, and we've even had drinks together..."

But before Sun Wan could finish speaking, Sun Pang became anxious. He glanced at Zhao Huai'an, who was smiling beside him, and said in a low voice to his cousin:

"What time is it? Who cares if he's had drinks with you or has connections in the state? Doesn't he even know who he's offended? Enough talk, go now!"

But Sun Wan pulled Sun Pang aside and hurriedly explained:

"I mean, he keeps over a hundred men in his house year-round, many of them tea and salt smugglers, and they're extremely vicious. How can my few men possibly take them down?"

Sun Pang was dumbfounded. He never expected that an unknown nobody would have such martial prowess. After all, there were only three hundred soldiers in Huo County. How could a loan shark support so many people?

How many heinous things must he have done! After all, Sun Pang started his career with the Ministry of Revenue; wouldn't he know the cost of supporting a hundred warriors?
But that's not the key point. The key point is that there is such a hundred-man armed force right under his own county government's nose, and he has never known about it.

So Sun Pang decided that once this matter was over, he would resign and return to the shogunate to work in finance, and he would never again live in such fear and anxiety.

But that's all in the future; for now, we need to get through this immediate crisis first.

So, he gritted his teeth and instructed Sun Wan:

"Give money to Old Liang in the county, and let him send troops. With his hundred soldiers, plus your dozens of personal guards, how can you not take down a small local tyrant?"

Seeing that Sun Wan was still trying to refuse, Sun Pang became fierce and said menacingly:

"You're my kinsman, if you don't stand up for me now, when will you? Go now!"

Sun Wan sighed, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and then led a troop of soldiers back to the city.

After Sun Wan left, Sun Pang turned around and gave a fawning smile:

"My lord, please wait a moment. I have already sent men to arrest the culprit. The net of justice is vast and its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it. Please rest assured, my lord, that justice will not be delayed under my rule!"

Zhao Huai'an smiled and said, "Let's see what the magistrate does."

Then Sun Pang cleverly pulled out his own soft stool from under the umbrella and offered it to Zhao Huai'an, but Zhao Huai'an snorted:

"Please give the old lady a seat first!"

Sun Pang slapped his forehead, then ran back, brought over a softer stool, trotted to Zhao's side, respectfully handed her the stool, and personally helped her sit down.

Feeling the comfort of the soft stool, Zhao finally gained a true understanding of her eldest son's power.

She had seen this magistrate countless times; he had passed through this shantytown countless times in his carriage, but he had never stopped to look at the people of Huo County who had lost their land.

Like the Zhao family, these people were driven from their homes by local powerful figures. Some of their lands were used as tea plantations, some for storing mountain goods, and some were even driven away for inexplicable reasons.

They weren't short of able-bodied men, but they dared not oppose those wealthy people with powerful connections.

Yet this official, who could only observe from afar, humbled herself before her son, showing utmost respect. At that moment, she realized just how high a position her son had attained.

But the next moment, a wave of sadness washed over her. Da Lang had ventured alone to Xichuan, enduring untold hardships and suffering to achieve such a great feat.
She had no idea where her son had gone until Ding Hui came back last night and told her that Da Lang had been in Xichuan all these years. She didn't know where Xichuan was, but she just wanted to know if Da Lang could get used to the wine there.

And so, Zhao sat behind her eldest son, with her three sons surrounding her. Although she felt her sons were very confident, she still gave them a word of advice:
"Big brother, be careful."

Zhao Huai'an turned his head and smiled, then sat down on the stool, waiting for the result from Magistrate Huo.

Meanwhile, the sounds of battle were already rising from within the city, and could be heard even outside the city.

Sun Pang, who had been confident of success, became restless, glancing anxiously into the city every now and then as he waited impatiently.

Then, a group of defeated soldiers rushed out of the city, followed by a group of men wearing leather armor or linen robes with turbans, their battle cries shaking the heavens.

With a chuckle, Zhao Huai'an mocked the dumbfounded Magistrate Huo beside him:
"If this is truly my hometown, Zhao Da, then martial virtue is truly abundant here!"

After saying that, he ignored Magistrate Sun Pang's wry smile, pointed his sword forward, and a hundred riders rushed out from behind him.

Leading the charge was Liu Zhijun, who had been waiting impatiently. He led dozens of riders forward, shouting at the fleeing Sun Wan and his men:

"Cowards, make way for the heroes!"

Without waiting for the others to give way, he led his cavalry and charged forward.

……

When Sun Wan saw a troop of cavalry charging towards him, he quickly rolled to the side of the street. Just as he was about to curse, he saw Liu Xingquan's younger brother and a group of guests, who had just been chasing them, being completely overwhelmed by the troop of cavalry.

Liu Xingquan's younger brother didn't even get a chance to defend himself before being impaled on a pole by the cavalry general leading the unit. He then continued charging towards the street ahead, stepping over a pile of mangled corpses.

Sun Wan was stunned and muttered:

"What a fine spear!" But the next second, he was grabbed by a thick arm and pulled onto an empty horse. The rider was tall, dark-skinned, and his muscles made his armor bulge. In particular, the thick black beard around his chin was thick and black.

The man shouted at him:

"Aren't you going to lead the way?"

Sun Wan looked at his own weight, then at the other man's thick arms, paused for a moment, and asked:

"I wonder which hero this is. That one arm must weigh a hundred pounds."

The cavalryman chuckled as he put down his mask, then drew his lance and said in a deep voice:

"Lead the way, stop talking nonsense!"

This time, Zisun Wan dared not hesitate any longer. He shouted "Giddy up!" and led his brave and fierce cavalrymen back to Liu Xingquan's residence.

He also felt a fierce determination in his heart: "You killed so many of my brothers, today I will wipe out your entire family!"
……

When Liu Zhijun, Huo Yanchao, and other fierce generals rushed into Huoxian County, Ding Hui, who had been staying in the Zhao family's ranks, also rushed out.

Accompanying him were about a dozen tall, strong men. As soon as they came out, they kowtowed to Zhao Huai'an, who was sitting on a stool. Ding Hui led the shouting:
"Brother, we also want to break in. Xie Liulang was disrespectful to the old lady before, and we brothers have been wanting to kill him."

Zhao Huai'an glanced at the group of people, his memories flashing back as he recognized them as his former comrades-in-arms.

I used to have a lot of influence in the Huo County area. I had brothers and friends in the county and mountains who could drink with me, but drinking buddies generally don't count.

But these people are loyal to him. He had just asked his brother and learned that Ding Hui and his friends had helped the family a lot over the years.

These people were all physically strong. Ding Hui was a funeral singer; the tall one, Guo Liang, was a carpenter; the one who was eight feet tall, almost as tall as Zhao Huai'an, with thick arms and tattoos, was Zou Yongfu, a blacksmith in the county; the one with a beard, fair-skinned, was Lin Yanhao, a hunter from not far from Peach Blossom Ridge, and next to him was his younger brother Lin Renhan, both of whom were skilled with a bow and arrow.

These few are considered the leaders among the attendants; the others were recruited by them, and their relationship with Zhao Huai'an is only so-so.

But without exception, all these people only earn money when they stop working. Oh, Ding is an exception; he only stops talking when he stops eating. Even so, he can't earn much money in a day and still has to support his family.

This is a blessing!
So when these people ran out to kneel before him, Zhao Huai'an quickly stood up and helped them up one by one.

He brushed the dust off their knees and laughed:
"Why should you kill Xie Liulang? I'll send someone with a team. You're all coming back to Guangzhou with me to live a good life. If you get hurt here, I, Zhao Daxin, will regret it to death!"

The Dante Society members were extremely stubborn, and Guo Liang, standing in the crowd, blushed and said:

"Brother, you've treated us well, but we brothers can't be ungrateful. Besides, we don't want to be rich men; we just want to work hard under you. We're all from your hometown; if we don't help you, who will we help?"

Lin Yanhao, who was standing next to him, said:
“Brother, we didn’t dare to kill Xie Liu in the past. But today you’ve brought so many people. If we brothers still back down, we’re not worthy of being your brothers, Zhao Da. So, brother, don’t try to persuade us. It’s because we haven’t taken good care of the old lady all these years that we had to kill that Xie Liu Lang. Consider it an apology.”

What could Zhao Huai'an say? He nodded emphatically and said to Sun Tai, who was standing beside him:

"Go and see which men in Beiwei are about the same size as my brothers, and give them their armor and weapons."

Sun Tai nodded, glanced at the dozen or so people, and then selected some from the back of the group to change their armor.

This time, Ding and his group did not refuse, after all, they were afraid that their good days would end here before they even had a chance to enjoy them.

The guards personally draped armor over these people, especially Ding Hui, Guo Liang, and Zou Yongfu, who all wore three layers of armor, making each of them look like a fat man.

Zhao Huai'an finally said to Ding Hui and the others:
"Let me say this last thing: I don't care about that Xie Liulang. I can kill a bunch of people like him with a flick of my wrist. But I know your intentions. Remember, even a hundred Xie Liulangs are no match for you. So kill them if you can, and if you can't, take this copper whistle. If you need support, blow it, and the cavalry that have already entered the city will come to your aid."

With that, Zhao Huai'an handed a bronze whistle to Ding Hui, patted them on the shoulder, and then helped them mount their warhorses.

After mounting their horses, the dozen or so men shouted at Zhao Huai'an:
"Brother, you stay here and watch how the men of Huo County kill people!"

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily, patting his buttocks, his heroic spirit soaring:

"Alright, brothers, go for it! And I'll be the one to beat the drum and cheer you on!"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an hung the drum on his waist and began to strike the drumhead with both hands.

As Ding Hui and his men rushed into the city, the drumbeats grew increasingly urgent. Zhao Huai'an, in high spirits, began to beat the drums and fight in front of the cavalry, the Zhao family, and the civil and military officials of Huo County.

The deep drumbeats accompanied Zhao Huai'an's shouts, and the sounds of battle rose from the nearby city. Zhao Huai'an's three younger brothers also started to jump up and down; this was their way of entertaining themselves as mountain people.

"Huh"

"dong dong dong"

"what"

"dong dong dong"

Zhao Huai'an and his brothers danced wildly, making Magistrate Sun Pang of Huo County break out in a cold sweat.

These are the people of Huoshan? And I'm actually their magistrate? How did I even have the courage to take this position?
Soon, more and more members of the Zhao family began to sing and dance in front of the formation. They sang folk songs, sang and danced, and sang along with Zhao Huai'an's hand drum.

At this moment, the shouts of battle inside the city grew more and more urgent. Before long, a dozen or so riders rushed out of the city; they were Ding Hui and his men who had just charged in.

There were thirteen people when they went in, and there were still thirteen people when they came out, not one missing and not one injured.

They watched as Zhao Huai'an encouraged the troops in front of the battle lines, then dismounted and threw the heads of Xie Liulang and his seven guests to the ground without a care.

Then Ding Hui and the others joined in the encouragement, especially Ding Hui, who would occasionally sing a few lines:
"Hey...yoho!"

"The emperor sits on the golden throne, while I lie atop the green peaks."

"No matter how many imperial edicts are issued, they cannot change the one-foot-high sky in the mountains."

"I will not kneel before the golden steps in life, nor envy the immortals in death!"

"With brothers and a pot of wine, I don't care what year it is!"

"Hey!"

Zhao Huai'an joined in the singing, his drumbeat keeping the rhythm, his dance steps expansive and dynamic:

"With brothers and a pot of wine, I don't care what year it is!"

Sun Pang just stared blankly until this moment, and only then did he realize what kind of person Zhao Dalang really was!
……

The drumbeats outside the city urged them on, and the Liu family mansion inside the city was also engulfed in fierce fighting.

In fact, the three Liu brothers in Huoxian County knew about Zhao Huai'an's fleet appearing in Luzhou City the day after it appeared.

The message was relayed by their brother-in-law, Wang Xu, from Luzhou to Shouzhou, and then from Shouzhou to Huoxian. It was basically to inform the Liu brothers to lay low for a while.

Because the governor of Guang Prefecture who was going to pass through Shouzhou was very likely Zhao Da, who had left four years ago.

When Liu Xingquan heard this, he was so angry that his lungs felt like they were about to explode. His former enemy, who had killed his brother, had actually become a prefect? ​​How could he possibly accept this?

He did so many dirty jobs for the governor's office for so many years, and in the end he never even saw the governor's face, while a murder fugitive went to another place and became a governor in just a few years.

How unfair is God!
But no matter how indignant he was, he had to put it aside. His brother-in-law was right; it was time to avoid this situation.

But he didn't expect that he had only received the news today, and at noon the sound of horses' hooves could be heard outside the city. At that time, Liu Xingquan realized that Zhao Da had returned.

Fortunately, because he needed to seek refuge, he gathered all his guests and followers who were scattered outside into his house. So when Sun Wan and his county soldiers came to take Liu Xingquan away, they were completely stunned by the attack.

The fact that these garrison troops were weak was one issue, but more importantly, these Liu clan members actually possessed iron armor and crossbows!

The unsuspecting garrison troops naturally collapsed, and it was only when Liu Zhijun arrived with his elite cavalry that the situation was stabilized.

It was at that time that Liu Xingquan, who was shooting at the town's soldiers with a crossbow on the wall, saw his younger brother Liu Dequan's head hanging on the flagpole.

At that moment, Liu Xingquan screamed in anguish:
"Fourth brother!"

Upon hearing the scream, Liu Zhijun chuckled, then severed Liu Dequan's head and tossed it into the house.

In an instant, another roar erupted from inside the house.

At that moment, Liu Zhijun, with a stern face, raised his spear and roared:
"Dismount and attack the house!"

　The next chapter will be posted later. I've been going to bed at 1 or 12 o'clock lately and writing in the morning.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)